What will my attitude be today?
In my daily experience I have found many occasions for tears and smiles caused by the unexpected circumstances that just pop up along my path. Encounters with my own weaknesses and strengths, coupled with those of others, still provide daily occasions for choosing just what my attitude for the moment will be. Will I enjoy this moment or will I choose to be grouchy, bitter, unforgiving, and resentful? All of those last reactions are toxic. They have the power to completely spoil my day. And, believe me, I have chosen those reactions many times and have lived to regret it.
And then there have been wonderful awakenings that have lead me down twisted but always interesting paths. Always, there comes to accompany me on my life’s journey, a convoy of incidents that force me to make choices. Some of those choices have been wise; others were very foolish. I have had to bear the consequences and go on.
When someone bashs me with what I take as a brutal, unkind remark, (They probably never meant it that way) I have to decide how to handle it. Do I ignore it, make with a happy face, take revenge, scream at them or will I choose to listen to the Spirit who indwells me? That voice of conscience, which is the megaphone of the Spirit, tells me to give that person a gift. That is the gift of forgiveness. That is something that I can give, forgiveness. If I find it hard to do this, I start with a prayer for the offender. That will begin the healing process and peace is always instantaneously restored to my life.
It seems to me that there exists in our present world a ever-growing trend which exalts faultfinding, that praises those who put down others, congratulates those who do hatchet jobs on those who might not see things the same way or on those who are less talented, less educated, less experienced, less ambitious, less energetic, or less anything else. How does this help build up community, our nation, ourselves? It destroys and robs life of the enjoyment that is meant for us.
My next article will try to describe one wonderful awakening that was, in my opinion, the beginning of my spiritual life.